Both East Penn (Deka) and Yuasa have private labeled for HD, both are very good battery manufacturers. Yuasa pretty much wrote the book on AGM technology, they pushed the new system over gel back in the early 80's and everyone else quickly climbed on board.

All battery manufacturers make a certain percentage of scrap that gets out into the marketplace, in spite of all efforts to make a perfect product. It’s just the plain simple truth, there’s no such thing as zero returns. The better manufacturers will have a lower percentage of returns but nonetheless, they are still out there on the shelves.

HD, as with most other vehicle manufacturers, is inclined to stay with the more reliable battery manufacturers. The reason is that even though the battery warranty is passed back to the battery manufacturer, HD still has to handle the transaction, which is costly. A battery manufacturer’s warranty only covers the battery, it does not cover the handling or labor to diagnose and change it out. Vehicle manufacturers won’t tolerate an inferior battery product, it costs them too much while the vehicle is still under their own warranty.

As a result, often the OEM battery will be one of the best ones you will ever get (not always, but often). I worked for a battery manufacturer some years back, and although we strived to make a good product across the board, we paid particular attention to the batteries that were being sold to our larger OEM customers. Those batteries underwent additional QA testing. It cost us more but we knew that if we did not perform well, they would drop us like a hot potato.

I have stated this in a number of different threads but it’s worth repeating if you are in the market for a battery:

When shopping for a battery, make sure you are comparing apples and apples. Look at CCA and reserve capacity versus the weight of the battery. More weight equals thicker grids and more active material, which means more storage capacity. See if you can identify the date code, do not buy an old battery and DO NOT buy one with a low open circuit voltage, that indicates that it’s been sitting on the shelf for some time and the possibility of some sulfation exists. Most battery dealers do not keep their inventory on a battery tender.

A high volume battery dealer is less likely to have any older inventory sitting around self-discharging. Think of milk and eggs, the fresher the better.

 

isn't there someone who makes a battery for the bike that is smaller in dimension than OEM?

 

My Crossbones is going on three years with its original OEM battery. I don't trickle charge it or anything and it still fires right up every time, even after sitting all week without the bike being operated. I figured once I do need a new one I will see who makes the Harley one that I am running now and either go with that manufacturer or just get another H-D battery.

 

I try not to buy anything from HD, except for their batteries. Last time I checked, the price wasn't that much different from other quality batteries.

 

I know the dealerships in Louisville, KY sells the OEM for around $124

 

my indy just put a new batt from HD in my bike. $100 installed.

 

The problem is size versus capacity, they are taking advantage of all the space they can to deliver the highest storage capacity….well at least the reputable manufacturers are anyway, which is why you should pay attention to it’s weight. Some have been known to shorten the elements and give more mud space in the bottom, which saves them big bucks and cost you precious storage capacity.

The older traditional wet cell systems needed the larger mud space in the bottom because over time, especially with vibration, you would loose some active material from the grids and it would eventually end up in the bottom of the case. Without the mud space, that active material could create a short across the bottom of the cell. But in the AGM system, the elements (cells) are under compression, active material does not get the opportunity to fall down to the bottom, which allows the manufacturer to take advantage of some of that mud space with larger grids….unless they are cheating you!

I am keeping an eye on the new lithium motorcycle batteries that have come out. They are way smaller and lighter then the lead-acid batteries. I think that is the direction that we are headed in. I suspect that in the near future we will see the lead-acid batteries become a thing of the past….in all vehicles. When it’s time for me to change batteries, I’m going to give the lithium a try.

 

I feel lucky. My 06 still performs well with the original hd battery. Why wouldn't i buy another ?

 

I'm still using the original battery in my 2004 Heritage. I remove it every wionter and put in on a tender. I'll probably get a new on this summer just in case. Was thinking about other brands but the HD one has served me well and I'll likely get another.

 

Found the Deka battery at a local shop for $77, i'll probably give that a try